Throckmorton “Airfield” Public Meeting 8 th Dec 2019
What are your councils doing? PROFESSIONAL PLANNING CONSULTANT FOCUSING ON BIG CONCERNS • Basis of site selection • Suitability of site • Contamination • Distance from major employment sites + myth of non car transport • Green field • Impact on area • infrastructure • Congestion • Light pollution • Impact on quality of life and character of rural environment • Greater Pershore • Removal of villages • Removal of heritage, historical assets and rural environment
What can the public do? • We believe the information presented is inadequate and somewhat misleading ….. and some is not being made available at all • We also believe the communities have a right to have a fuller picture • So we have tried to put together some of the biggest things we feel are being “glossed over” by the SWDP plans.
Let’s start with the Map!
…and then there’s the other Map!
Location • The Claim • SWDP – Throckmorton “airfield” • Brown Field Development • In Fact • Throckmorton “New Town” • Suitability of land means relatively little of the development will be on the airfield itself, instead most will be Green field
Scale : New Town • They talk about • 2000 homes (2031) • 4,600 people (2/3rds the size of Pershore 2018) • In Fact • Approval now will approve 6000 homes (beyond 2041) • 13,800 people (Nearly DOUBLE the size of Pershore 2018)
Suitability: Contamination • They talk about • Burial site “not really an issue” • “would just add a little to the cost” (Comments of Planning officer at Throckmorton event) • In Fact • Burial sites are subject to significant on going scientific monitoring • They are to be monitored for 100 years due to the Bio Hazard they present • Scientific reports (latest 2017) recommend them not be disturbed – other than for routine maintenance
Suitability: Infrastructure • They talk about • 3 schools (2 primary one secondary) • Medical surgeries • Retail provisions • In Fact • Unclear when & how infrastructure investments will be triggered • The full provisions are unlikely to be much before the 6000 • Meaning significant pressure on existing resources for up to 10 years
Suitability: Transport links • They talk about • Sustainable transport – low emissions/ low carbon impact travel • Rail network • Foot and cycle distances to transport hubs and employment • In Fact • Inevitably major work centres will be Worcester & M5, Redditch & M42 and Birmingham, Cheltenham and Stratford/Warwick …. ALL SIGNIFICANT COMMUTES from Throckmorton on already congested routes. • Rail line through Pershore is Single track – Massive investment … when? • Distances from the site are NOT realistic Foot or cycle commutes • Reality is that this location means THOUSANDS of additional significant daily car commutes!
Conclusion?? • It might be easy to view this as untruthful ……. • But ….. In Fact • We believe the planners are under huge pressure to deliver “target” numbers with penalties for failure and this is driving desperate selection of land without availability and consideration of ALL relevant information • HOWEVER whatever the pressure …… selection of this site is BADLY FLAWED and the site IS FUNDAMENTALLY UNSUITABLE and ……. if we stay silent it is the current and future communities which will suffer. • This may be the only chance we get to oppose the decision!
Summary • Planning want the full proposal for the site agreed NOW and without further consultation • Information and detail is very limited and this allows the problems to be concealed • Accepting 2000 homes now … accepts the complete package • Whilst this is a consultation - it may be the planners are not keen to listen… • The Parish Councils will respond Robustly and advisedly …. BUT • The Public voice needs to be raised in a protest – TOO LOUD for the planners to ignore!
Call to Action • Please add your own voice by submitting your comments Before 5:00pm on Monday 16 th December • Details on forms round the room and www.BatPC.org.uk • … and encourage others
Press Contacts Jessica Charles (Largely Evesham Journal) Jessica.Charles@Newsquest.co.uk Christian Barnett (Evesham and Worcester) Christian.Barnett@Newsquest.co.uk Tom Banner (Broad area – politics focus) Tom.Banner@Newsquest.co.uk
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